Rain
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: I never forgot you. After all, how could I?" Oneshot,fluff NarutoxHinata NaruxHina


**For the record, this story will diverge in two. This oneshot, and another, longer story which will be posted soon after this. And the rookie nine are 17 at this time.**

It was raining.

Just like then.

Just like before.

Just like now.

Everytime he came here it rained without fail.

He looked down upon the village, and blue eyes were seen within his cowl, the rest of his visage enshrouded in shadow, as the drizzle began to patter upon the Leaf.

Sorrow.

Perhaps that was the reason?

But he was not _here_ for redemption, nor was vengeance his objective.

The muddy terrain squished beneath his boots, he began walking down the path to the sleepy village.

By the time he had walked through the valley, a heavy fog had come up, thick as pea soup, and shredding anyone's visibility to tatters.

The sentries looked up as he emerged through the murk, and immediately grabbed their weapons at the unfamilair sight of an intruder.

"Identification." Said one, a tallk lanky man who wore a hawk mask.

"I need no such thing." Stated the cowled figure.

At this, the first guard, a short stout fellow, with an Ox mask reached for the alarm button-

The mysterious man waved a hand, uttering but one word.

"Slytha." **(Sleep)**

The two Anbu collapsed into the mud, out cold and unconcious, the warning left silent.

That spell would keep them under for awhile.

Not wishing for them to drown in this flood, he hefted them both up by their collars.

Glancing up, he systematically pinned them to the gate's wall with a some shuriken and kunai, careful not to harm them.

Upon completing this objective, he nodded to himself.

then gathered his body for a tremendous leap.

Seconds later, he soared over the gate, and into enemy territory.

The moment his feet hit the ground, he took off running, a man on a mission.

He was here for _her_.

--

He came in through her window, like he always did, always had, always _would_, ever since he had been exiled.

His figure silhoutted in the moon, revealed his usual attire.

He wore an ebony black hooded cloak that went down to his ankles and was currently covering his face, the arms stopped at his elbows but the rest were wrapped in bandages with his hands in a fingerless black leather glove. He also had under-shirt stopping at his chest that was colored red and an all black body suit.

His left leg had a hole visible around the knee cap and a kunai holster placed all the way down to his shin. He also wore a white belt clip around his waist and silver loosely hung one going diagonally with a large black sword hilt on his side, and another belt that held a large scroll upon his back, clearly for storing items.

She didn't even notice him at first, until he coughed.

She jumped in surprise, even after a year of his surprise visits, she wasn't used to his prescence, thanks to his ability to hide himself from even the piercing stare of the Byakugan itself.

Slowly, he reached up to undo the clasp that kept his hood up.

Gloved fingers worked at the emblazed emblem of a skull, whose mouth was open in laughter.

Upon finding the knot, he undid the silvery buckle, revealing his identity as the cloak fell back.

The light gleamed off his headband, reflecting upon the scratch there.

Blond hair hung over his face in matted locks, no longer spiky, as he had given up gelling the long locks up months ago, and over time, the neon blond color of his hair had died down to more of a sandy blond, ever so slightly ingrained with brown, not enough to see, but enough to dull the bright color.

He looked better with it down, she idly thought to herself.

Her eyes ran over his whiskered face, fell to his mouth, which curved upward, slightly in a smile.

"Hey." He murmurred slightly, as he got off the balcony.

After standing up, he towered over her as usual, with his 5"11 frame, as compared to her 5"8.

Before, she would have smiled.

Before, she would have blushed, upon remembering that he had fuffilled his promise, and come back to see her again.

But not tonight.

Tonight, his prescence pained her, as did the news she bore.

Delicately, she took his hand in her own, and took an umbrella off the rack.

"Let's go for a walk. I have something to tell you...

(Training field/Midnight)

His surprised shout pierced the evening air, at the end of their little 'talk'.

"Y-You're… going to get married?! You're going to…"

She didn't answer him back and suddenly his mind went frantic.

"N-No! Y-You didn't mean… You didn't…!"

"I don't know!"

Her sudden burst stopped his heart.

A tear suddenly rolled down her flushed cheek as she gripped her lavender kimono tighter about herself.

"I-I don't know! I… I don't… I don't have any choice and I… I don't understand, I… I just… I just don't_… know_, Naruto-kun. I don't _know_!"

Sadness broke her defenses as tears now streamed down her face. She covered her face as she sobbed, as confusion and sorrow stirred her so violently that she crumbled. And he watched there in the rain, completely dumbfounded by what she had just said.

She was going to get married.

She wouldn't be Hinata Hyuuga anymore… No more…

"I… had never heard about this…"

He looked at the puddle by his feet, listening to the rain and her cry.

"You never told me about this…"

"O-Of course..." She smiled between her tears. Her wet eyes looked deep into his orbs and she smiled again, broken. "You think I have the heart to let you know? And do you think… the others will inform you when I tell them not to?"

He didn't answer. He bit his lower lip and looked down. The sight of her crying was too much and he couldn't bring himself to get closer to her. The rain was their wall… and somehow he would let it be.

"I… I wanted to forget you," She sent an empty laugh, drying her cheek with the sleeve of her kimono. But the tears just wouldn't stop. "I-I wanted to forget… how you used to be beside me, how you were always there for me… the way you gave me the courage to stay… B-but the more I want to forget… The more I want to see you… and the more I realize that… that the reason I stay _is _you… The cherished memory of the lessons you've taught me…"

He tightened his jaw.

Hinata smiled a broken smile then closed her eyes.

"That thought… somehow pierced me…" she said slowly. "What will happen to me… if the courage that I need to stay here will be erased along with the memories of you? I… I couldn't contain the thought, Naruto-kun… It was all too much…"

"Hinata…"

"But then again…" She opened her eyes, looking at the rain. "… It's the only thing that can be done for me to survive… and I have no other choice…"

The rain felt so cold without the umbrella to shield him. He didn't know when, but suddenly the umbrella was there by his feet, forgotten. He didn't need anything to shield.

"I'm sorry."

She chuckled and erased the tears by her eyes.

"W-What are you apologizing for, Na-Naruto-kun…?I-It's not your f-fault…"

He gave a forlorn sigh, his shoulders sagging as the rain began to plink down en masse, softly at first, then faster, until it was a steady downpour.

"I never should've come back."

And that did it.

It was almost unseen… but suddenly she was there in his arms, clinging to him tightly as the rain showered them both in icy spray. She wasn't sobbing or crying… the tears that rolled down her cheek meant more than what they were just a moment ago. He embraced her back just as tightly, feeling how warm she was… how the world left her unchanged after all those years… She was still fit in his arms like the day he first hugged her.

She whispered his name as she buried her face in his chest… She didn't care whether the tears would stop again, she didn't care if her kimono was wet, she didn't care if anyone would question her later… she didn't care. He was here… and perhaps this would be the last time she would get to hug him like a lover would.

"I was… never lying, Naruto-kun…"

She lifted her head from his chest to look into his eyes. His blue eyes were always calm and clear… She couldn't think of finding others that could make her fall like him…

"I… I will always love you. Now. And ever."

The rain dissolved her tears… and she was thankful now that he could only see the genuine smile she gave him.

"No matter whom I am married to…"

Pain flashed in his eyes and somehow she loved how he treasured her.

"You will be the only one that I love forever." She added.

He trembled against her.

Why was life so cruel?

Was there nothing to shield them against it?

Nothing at all?

"Come away with me." He murmured in her ear, silently pleading with her, _begging _that she would say yes this time. "Let me take you from all of this."

"Will be together?" She whispered.

A firm nod, as she pulled away slightly, still in his arms, was the answer.

"Hai."

She hugged him tighter, and her words no- the _conviction_ of them, rocked the blonde to his very core.

"Let's go then. I don't care about this place anymore. You're...so much more important to me than all of this!"

He looked up into the rain, and let it fall upon his face, then looked back to her.

Fierce determination burned in those pale orbs.

She was willing to cast everything away, just to be with him.

You'd never be able to tell that seven years ago, she was so shy and meek that she fainted, whenver he brushed past her.

She had come a long way, and it made him sad that it had taken two years worth of his exile to bring this out of her.

He began making the seals behind her back, that which would transport them out of this place.

He paused, just before taking the last handsign, looking over the rainy field, as if searching for something...

He found it with little difficulty.

Near the memorial stone, he saw a familair face, that of his long dead mentor.

His transparent features curved up in a smile, as he gazed upon his student.

_Well what're you two lovebirds waitin' for?_

Naruto gave a firm nod, and placed his hands into the last seal, embracing Hinata as he did so.

"Later, Ero-senin."

A swirl of leaves surrounded them, and just like that, they were gone.

Silently, he waved.

_Later gaki._

He sighed, and pretended to look at his watch, even though he clearly did not have one.

With a silent flourish, he spun round, as if he were walking away.

The last thing to be seen was his long white hair, then that too was gone, as he faded from existence..

--

Moments later, they were gone, still standing, but now upon the hill that overlooked the Leaf.

They looked down upon their former home, and after a moment or so of staring, a simultaneous sigh escaped them.

The rain fell upon them both, gently now, no longer harsh and fierce.

He reached down to pull aside a soaked strand of navy blue hair that was soaked to her face, in response she blushed ever so slightly.

She looked up into his eyes, and he looked down into hers.

"Together at last." He murmurred.

She sobbed, but it was a joyouse one, laden with much emotion and caring, that had been bottled up for so very _very_ long.

She hugged him again, sobbing into his shirt anew.

"I love you. I love you so much."

He rested his head on hers, breaking the embrace.

"Hinata."

Upon calling her name, she looked up.

Sapphire met lavender.

They began leaning forward, his eyes drifting shut, as did hers.

For the first time in a long time, they enjoyed a kiss.

It was a free one that held so much passion, so much love, so much of everything. No longer did they have to fear for being seen, no longer did they have to pine for the comfort of the other, when they were alone at night.

So great, so _tender _were these kisses, that had anyone walked by, had they looked _close_ enough, they would have _sworn _the two lovers were sharing tears of joy as they kissed.

Or was that just the rain?

It was then that the two runaways realized something, as the water fell down all around them.

The rain wasn't a thing of sadness...

No, it was thing of life.

It was a _wall_.

Naruto smiled on the inside, as he could not possibly on the outside, due to the liplock with Hinata.

She was smiling as well.

Let the rain be _their_ wall… For this one time…Let it last...

Let it last unto eternity.


End file.
